Clicking machine



LM Y 1933. M. H. BALLARD CLICKING MACHINE Filed March 1, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l v Fig. 1. 54

May 16, 1933.; M H, BALLARD 1,909,161

CLICKING MACHINE Filed March 1, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 2

Patented May 16, 1933 UNITED, STATES, PATENT" OFFICE MILTON H. BALLARJD, 0F BEVERIQKVMAVSSAGHUSEITSV, AssIGNo 'ro UNITED sHon MACHINERY CORPORATION, or PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION or NEW JERSEY Application filed March 'l,

This invention relates to hand-wheel locking devices and is herein illustrated as embodied in aclicking machine of the type disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,431,920, granted October 17 1922 upon an application filed in my name. Clicking machines of the type referred to commonly comprise a presser arm mounted upon a post which is arranged for reciprocation relatively to a cutting block in producingpressure-applying operations ofthe arm upon work positioned on the cutting block. The post is carried upon a shaft, upon which it is adjustable by meansof ahand-wheel for raising or lowering the post relatively to the shaft in order to adjust the position of the presser arm relatively to the cutting block.

An object of the invention isto provide in machines of the type referred to an improved locking device whereby relative movement of the post and shaft during the operation of themachine will be prevented.

To this end and as illustrated, there is provided in a clicking machine comprising a shaft, a post mountedupon the shaft, and means for adjusting the position of the post along the shaft, a'locking member for engag-' ing the post and shaft for locking the'post in adjusted position relatively to the shaft, together with means for normally urging the member into locking'position, and means for retracting saidimember to render it inoperative. As shown, the locking member comprises a detent rotatably and slidably carried by the post and arrangedto be engaged in one or another of a plurality of holes in a hand-wheel operatively connected to the post for adjusting the post relatively to the shaft. Preferably the lockin g member is urged into locking position by a spring'and has associated with it a cam'efl'ective upon rotation of the-locking member to withdraw it from locking-position. r The construction set forth provides a com paratively simple and inexpensive device which operates to prevent relative movement of thehand-Wheel and the post and consequently relative horizontal movement betweenthe shaft and post due to vibration of the machine during its operation. This obvi- CLICKING MACHINE p i 1930. Serial no. 432,451.

, the presser arm or operation upon dies of different heights. o

Other objects and features of theinvention will appear from the following detailed description and claims when takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, in which i r Fig. 1 is a sectional view through the upper portions of the post and hand-Wheel of a clicking machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the upper portion of the post and associated parts; and

Fig. 3 is a side view showing details of the lower portions of the locking device.

Fig. 1 illustrates the upper portion of a clicking machine comprising a frame 10 lliLVf ing slidably mounted therein a hollow post 12 to which is rigidly connected a presser arm 14 overlying a cutting block 16. The post is supported for reciprocation in the frame by means of an upright shaft 18, the u per portion of which has a collar 20 upon w iich rests a bearing22 supporting a screw-threaded sleeve 24 which makes connection with the upper end of the post-'12. The sleeve 24 has a smooth end portion 26 upon which is-mount-- ed a hand-wheel 28 rigidly secured to the sleeve by a key 30. By means ofthe hand-' Wheel the sleeve 24 can be rotated relatively to thepost 12 to raise or lower'the latter with respectto the shaft 18, thereby to vary the height of the presser arm above the cutting block 16. The sleeve and hand-wheel are retained upon the shaftlS by a split nut 32 screw-threaded on the u per end 34 of the shaft, the parts being adjusted to permit rotation of the post 12 and sleeve-24.- relatively to the shaft in moving the presser arm 14 laterally over the bed 16. For further details of the construction and operation of the parts thus far described reference may be had to" the aforementioned Letters Patent 0. 1,431,920. I In order to preventlikelihood of relative turning movement between the sleeve 24 and tor post 12 as a result of vibration, means is provided for locking the hand-wheel 28 to the post. To this end, the post is provided with a bracket 36 at the upper end of which is a collar 38 positioned over the smooth portion 26 of the sleeve 24, the lower end of the bracket having a flanged portion 40 surrounding the upper part of the post 12 and being secured thereto by set-screws, one of which is indicated by reference character 42. The bracket 36 has a projectiton 44 and a boss 46 in which is rotatably and slidably mounted a locking member or detent comprising a rod 48. The upper end of the rod 48 is adapted to be inserted in one or another of holes 50, 52 (Figs. 1 and 2) in the hub 54 of the handwheel 28. It is to be noted that the holes extend entirely through the hub 54 but that holes 52, which are located in portions of the hub in alinement with spokes 55 of the handwheel, are in the form of recesses, thus to avoid weakening the spokes.

The rod 48 is provided with a spring 56, the ends-of which engage a pin 58 on the rod and the upper surface of the boss 46, tending normally to force the rod upwardly in the direction of the hub 54. "he rod 48 is provided at its lower end with a projection 60 forming a handle by which the rod can be rotated. The handle 60 normally extends at right angles to the axis of the post and received in the V-shaped notch 62 in the boss 46. The side walls 64 of this notch form cam surfaces, best shown in Fig. 3, operative when the handle 60 is turned outwardly in either direction to engage the handle and to force it and the rod downwardly. lVhen the handle is turned outwardly about 45 it will pass out of the notch 62 and will be positioned beneath one of the lower surfaces 66 of the boss 46 and such surface will operate to engage the handle to lock the rod 48 in retracted position against the tension of the spring 56.

WVhen it is desired to adjust the height of the presser member, the handle 60 is turned outwardly until it is positioned beneath the boss 46 in which position the rod 48 is withdrawn from engagement with the hand-wheel 28. The hand-wheel is then rotated to obtain the required relative movement between the post 12 and the shaft 18 in adjusting the height of the presser member 14 above the 8 cutting bed 16. The handle 60 is then turned inwardly until it enters the V-shaped notch 62 whereupon the spring 56 will urge the rod 48 upwardly into engagement with the hub 54, and upon alinement of one of the holes 50, 52 with the axis of the rod, the spring 56 will force the rod into such hole, thereby locking the hand-wheel to the post 12.

It should be noted that the holes 50, 52 are suificiently close together that the maximum amount of movement of the hand-wheel required to bring a hole 50. 52 in alinement with the rod 48 is very small, thereby rendering the locking device operable for line adjustments of the post relatively to the shaft.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A clicking machine comprising a shaft, a post mounted upon the shaft, means for adjusting the position of the post along the shaft, a member carried by the post and adaptedfor engagement with the adjusting means for locking the post in adjusted position, means normally operative to urge the member into engagement with the adjusting means, and means for retracting the member to render it inoperative.

2. A clicking machine comprising a shaft, a post mounted upon the shaft, means for adjusting the position of the post along the shaft, a movable member for engaging the post and the adjusting means for locking the post in adjusted position, means for urging the member into locking position, means for retracting the member to render it inoperative, and means for locking the member in inoperative position.

3. A clicking machine comprising a cutting bed, a presser arm spaced from the bed, a hollow member for supporting the arm, a shaft for reciprocating the hollow member in producing pressure-applying operations of the arm upon the bed, and a manually operable member for adjusting the position of the hollow member relatively to the shaft, one of said members having therein a plurality of holes and a detent carried by the other of said members co-operable with one of the holes for locking the members in adjusted relation.

4. A clicking machine comprising a shaft, a post carried by the shaft, connections be tween the shaft and post including a handwheel for adjusting the post relatively to the shaft, the hancbwheel having holes thereln, a detent carried by the post arranged for engagement in one of the holes for locking the hand-wheel to the shaft, means for urg mg the detent into locking position, and manually operable means for retracting the detent.

5. A clicking machine comprising a shaft, a post carried by the shaft, a hand-wheel for varying the relative position of the post with respect to the shaft and having therein a plurality of holes, a bracket secured to the post, a detent slidably mounted in the bracket for engagement within one or another of the holes in thehand-Wheel to lock the hand-wheel to the post, a spring operative normally for urging the detent toward the hand-wheel, and a cam for retracting the detent.

6. A clicking machine comprising a shaft, a post mounted upon the shaft, a hand-wheel for adjusting the post relatively to the shaft and in which are located a plurality of holes,

a bracket carried by the post, a detent rotatably and slidably mounted upon the bracket for co-operation with one or another of the holes in the hand-wheel to lock the handwheel to the post, the bracket having a cam surface, and a projection on the detent normally positioned in engagement With.- the cam surface and co-operable therewith to retract the detent upon rotation thereof.

7. A clicking machine comprising a shaft, a post adjustably mounted on the shaft, a hand-Wheel for varying the position of the post relatively to the shaft and in which is located a plurality of holes, a bracket carried by the post, a detent rotatably and slidably mounted in the bracket and adapted to be positioned in one or another of the holes in the hand-wheel for locking the hand-wheel to the post, a spring operative normally to force the detent into locking position, and a V- shaped notch in the bracket the walls of which are operative to withdraw the detent from looking osition upon rotation thereof. 8. In a clic King machine, a sleeve, a post adjustably mounted on the sleeve, a handwheel for obtaining relative adjustment between the post'and sleeve and having a plurality of openings therein, a bracket carried by the post, a detent rotatably and slidably mounted in the bracket and arranged to be positioned in one or another of the openings in the hand-wheel, a spring for urging the locking member toward the hand-wheel, the bracket having a V-shaped notch, and a projection on the locking member normally positioned in the V-shaped notch and arranged to co-operate with the walls of the notch to retract the detent upon rotation thereof.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

MILTON H. BALLARD. 

